Chapter Sixteen

After her run in with Tommy, Rachel remained silent and eventually Charlie realised something was wrong. Whilst packing up from their stay the night earlier, he could see Rachel holding her arms around herself, not showing much in the way of speaking or general communication.

To confirm his suspicions that something was up, Wade approached Charlie and nudged him aside. "Can ah have a word, Charlie?" he asked, his eyes full of so many different emotions of which he couldn't decipher. Charlie moved a short distance away from the camp with Wade and looked up, squinting due to the bright sunlight bearing down on his face. "Maybe it's best you take Rachel away for a while. She's slowin' us down, Charlie, and this just ain't helpin' any of us havin' her here," he explained.

Charlie, for a few seconds, was stuck for words. Something was going on here, something that he wasn't in on at all. Quickly he glanced over at Rachel, watching her keep her head low and maintain a distance from all the others. "Ah don't want her to know, Boss, but ah found a way to get her home. Maybe if ah can convince her to go, it'll work best for all'a us." His green eyes studied her and an aching pressed down on his heart once more. Somehow Rachel was both his strength and his weakness; she gave him more reason to fight and to be the aggressive man he'd always been notorious for being, but she'd also dented his walls of anger, those walls which he'd tossed up around himself just after the death of his younger brother. That anger had spurred him on to be the very outlaw he was. Beneath all the hate, he was still human, still a man who had feelings no matter how trampled down by pain and time they'd become.

Wade watched the expressions wash across Charlie's face and with that he let out a deep sigh. "You were the last one of us ah ever thought would let a woman cloud their judgement." At Wade's words, Charlie looked up, a faint smile curling his lips upwards which were eclipsed by his strawberry blonde beard.

"Ah know in time she could be as good as the rest of us," Charlie said softly. "She has that potential, ah feel it when ah look in her eyes. But it's not fair of me expectin' that of her just so we can be together an' all. One way or the other, Boss, ah'll get her home."

"Ah'll give you three days. Meet us back at Millville. We'll do the raid at the post office without you, and then we can move on out. Ah feel it's time we laid low a while," Wade said, looking up towards the sky. "Bin movin' about a bit too much. Maybe we should settle down for a while."

Rachel sat down on the ground and placed her knees to her chest, looking out across the hills. There was nothing here, no homes, no plants, nothing. All there was out here was dirt, dust, hills and heat. Her eyes suddenly rested on the Schofield which poked out of her pants pocket. Then she looked up at Tommy, who all morning hadn't so much as glanced at her. He knew full well that Wade respected Charlie and his feelings for Rachel had influenced everyone in the outfit except him. The very thought of putting a bullet in the bastard's skull brought a sly and satisfied smile to Rachel's face.

Charlie approached Rachel, and then lowered himself down beside her. "Boss is givin' us a few days to ourselves while they do a raid. Nice of him, ah guess," he said, his voice quiet and tinged with regret.

"Getting rid of me, you mean?" Rachel asked, pessimism pouring from her tone. She then turned to look at him, smiling as their eyes met. "What do they think of us? I know they know about us, Charlie."

Charlie merely sighed loudly. "Ah wish ah knew. Havin' women on our arms ain't somethin' which happens a lot." With that he grinned at her, watching as she reciprocated the smile and nudged in a little closer against him.

xxx

Rachel and Charlie departed from the group a couple of hours later. Wade, however, placed something in Charlie's hand before the departure. "You might want this," he said, placing his other hand on Charlie's shoulder. In his gloved hand Charlie held a piece of folded up paper and as he unfolded it he looked back up at Wade with questioning and thankful eyes.

"Thanks, Boss," he said quietly, feeling a lump rise in his throat. It was a drawn picture of Rachel sitting by the open camp fire.

"Remember, three days!" Wade warned.

Charlie was thankful to have time with Rachel in peace as they rode on his horse. Due to them being alone, Rachel sat in front of Charlie so he could easily protect her should any danger occur. She rested back against him, nestling to him. "What did you have in mind for us while they're away?" Rachel asked. In response she heard him chuckle.

"Do ah have to answer that?" he asked.

Rachel felt a pang of excitement shoot up her spine and she grinned uncontrollably. In all honesty, she'd forgotten about the incident with Tommy last night and was now enjoying some alone time with Charlie. However, after a couple of minutes the smile died down from her face, sinking away to nothing. She knew she needed to tell Charlie what had happened the night earlier, but if she did, Wade had threatened her; what would he do if his second in command to the outfit suddenly turned on Tommy Darden? It would be all out chaos.

As they continued on, galloping on the horse through the baron land, things went silent. Charlie's mind was on only one thing, and that was his inner turmoil of sending Rachel home. He knew full well that if he had to ask Rachel to say the words, she wouldn't.

After a few hours of continuous riding, Charlie saw a large building in the distance, on the outskirts of town. He took them both on to it, quickening the pace of the horse as they'd not long ago slowed down somewhat.

Charlie looked up at the building, his green eyes studying the wooden frontage. He furrowed his eyebrows, searching the windows for any trace of a human being. "Doesn't look like anyone lives here…not anymore anyways," Charlie said, dropping the reins from his hands. He slid out of the saddle and jumped down, helping Rachel once again down from the animal.

Together they walked up the three steps which lead up to the building. "I don't like the look of it, Charlie," Rachel said quietly, holding his arm. "It looks creepy."

"Come on. If it's empty why can't we stay here? No one will bother us," Charlie replied, protesting against her negative views towards the building. "Kinda looks like an old brothel."

"Oh, and you go to brothels often?" Rachel asked, raising her dark eyebrow at him.

Charlie sighed. "Ah admit, yeah, ah've visited brothels in the past…" he said again, his voice draining away to nothing very slowly.

They walked into the deserted place, searching each room one by one. Downstairs there was a large lounge. There were some ornaments and trinkets still left around, but it certainly didn't look as though anyone had resided in the place for some time. Cobwebs had formed over the fireplace and old mirror which dominated the back wall.

Charlie stepped inside the lounge and dropped himself down on an old chair, a two seated couch, rubbing his gloved hands up his face. Rachel stood beside him and looked around, feeling a chill spread through her body, infiltrating through her clothing. "How long do you plan on staying here?" Rachel asked.

"Not long. Maybe just tonight…" he said softly.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked, bending down to him and taking his hands in hers. "There's something wrong; you've been quiet all afternoon and it's worrying me, Charlie. What's on your mind?"

Charlie looked into her eyes, his own growing so saddened and full of grief. "Ah, um, found a way to send you home. Some old mad bitch pushed the spell under the door."

Rachel stood up quickly. "I'm not going, Charlie!" she snapped. "I told you before. I want to stay with you."

"You have a better life where you're from, Rachel. Don't you see that?!" he shouted. "How can you want to stay here? Ah'm not worth riskin' your life for. Ah'm worth fuckin' nothin'!"

"I basically have nothing to go back to. I moved away to study at university and what did it get me? Nothing. I live with a bitch and slut of a room mate, and my family are so far away."

"Then go back to 'em!" Charlie voice was verging on booming by now.

Rachel cowered a little and stepped back, grimacing at his menacing tone. "Okay!" she started again, gathering her confidence back. "You want me to go home, I'll fucking do it! Give me the spell!"

Charlie couldn't help but smile, getting up from the chair so he was standing directly in front of her. She was like him in so many ways and definitely had the fight inside her to ride beside him. But, as he kept telling himself, this was risky. Since joining Wade's outfit ten years ago, Charlie had seen no less than two dozen men get killed, picked off like flies. He, Wade, Campos and Kinter were the only original outfit members remaining.

"Shut up and come here," Charlie hissed, pulling her toward him with his roaming hands. Rachel felt herself be pulled and then her body smacked against Charlie's. Instantly she felt that fire burn inside her and then Charlie's hungry lips were tightly pressed against her own. His facial hair tickled her lips as they expressed their desire once more. They could no longer deny themselves.

Rachel pushed Charlie back onto the seat, showing that she too had a dominant streak within her, and quickly she mounted him, pushing her hips down against his. Charlie groaned loudly beneath their strong, hot kiss. And gradually he let his hands roam again, unbuttoning her shirt quickly. The leather of his gloves brushed over her flesh making Rachel buck inward. Her lips pulled away from his for a few moments, her breath in pants. "Let me stay…and we can do this…all we want," she whispered, nuzzling his cheek and down to his neck. Charlie merely growled and dragged her closer toward him, tugging hard at her waist.

"Don't blackmail me into lettin' you stay," he chuckled, kissing down her towards the top of her chest.

Rachel felt tears prickle in her eyes and moved away, pulling her shirt in around herself. "I don't even find that funny, Charlie," she said quietly, sniffing away the tears. Then she looked up at him; his face was so full of unidentifiable emotions. His expression lingered between anger and sadness. His green eyes closed for a brief second as he was tossed back into their agonising reality. "Before I do go home," Rachel began again, straining hard over the words. "I need to tell you something, but please will you swear you won't tell anyone?"

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Depends on what you're tellin' me," he replied.

"Promise me. Please," she begged.

"Alright, ah promise," Charlie said reluctantly.

"You asked me what was wrong, and well…I shouldn't even tell you this. I'm sorry…" With that she got up, ready to walk away from the situation.

Charlie stopped her, gripping her arm tightly. "Tell me!" he snapped.

"Tommy tried to…rape me." Tears fell down Rachel's cheeks in procession as she thought back on the previous night.

Charlie's face grew red as the anger suddenly swelled inside him. "Ah'll kill the little fucker!" he growled, his hands curling into tight fists.

"I was told not to tell you though. I was told that you'd go mad if you knew…I shouldn't have told you, but I couldn't hold it in. I needed to tell you because you're the only one I trust."

"Too right ah'd go mad! Why the fuck wouldn't I? Ah never trusted him…never!"

Rachel stepped up to him. "Let me stay one more night with you, and then I'll go home tomorrow." A lump rose in her throat as she said those words and looked into the eyes of the man she so dearly loved. He never spoke another word and instead took her back into his arms and kissed her, continuing on from where they'd previously broken off.

Charlie and Rachel made love again that evening under the faint, fading light of sunset. On the couch they blended into one whole being and enjoyed their last night together. Each and every time Charlie looked into Rachel's eyes he needed her more, but if their love was not meant to be, he prayed to be healed despite his previous wounds from years passed having scarred his heart.

As he laid down to rest, holding Rachel against his bare chest, he promised himself that if she left, he would never allow his heart to love again. Rachel would always remain the one his heart desired.

Holding her to him, Charlie brushed a stray, sweaty strand of hair from Rachel's face and watched her sleep. Every small drop of anger seemed to dissipate when she was close to him, and all he could do was smile. If only things had been different. If only they'd have met under different circumstances. If only…So many wishes, so many prayers, but none could be answered.

But one thing was true and had acted as a blessing to the both of them. Charlie had finally opened himself to someone and learned to love.